Artifex 0.5.22: easier AI setup and clearer file approvals

Hi everyone — Jacob here, the maker of Artifex (pronounced Arty-fex).

Artifex is a Windows workspace that connects your chosen AI model to project files, editable memory and practical tools. I’ve just shipped 0.5.22 on itch, with updated full and demo installers.

This update focuses on getting started and understanding what an AI action will change:

• First-task guide: setup help and a small file-writing example. Preparing the example creates a draft in a new chat; it doesn’t send a request or spend credits.

• Deliberate model selection: discovery preserves your choice and leaves an empty selection empty. It no longer picks the first returned model automatically. You can test basic tool support before starting work.

• Readable approvals: colored file differences and multiline commands make proposed actions easier to inspect. Exact tool arguments remain available in a separate tab.

Release checks included 596 passing source tests (one skipped), installer upgrade/recovery checks, and small tasks with Gemini and local Qwen models. Model reliability still varies, and generated work needs verification.

Download the update or try the limited demo:

https://undeathical.itch.io/artifex

Full release notes:

https://undeathical.itch.io/artifex/devlog/1664691/0522-easier-setup-and-readable-action-reviews

Artifex remains Early Access. Bring your own local model or supported API access; models and API credits are separate. Updating the demo does not reset its ten-request allowance.

When an AI is about to change a file, what information would help you decide whether to approve it?

Below: an example approval preview for a small Python edit.